X x x x x



8 Sheets- Sheet 1'.

(N0 Model.)

J. -CHA MAN KNITTING MACHINE.

Paten tedDec; 25 1883.

f do,

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. CHAPMAN. KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 2901972.. Pa'taen'wd Dec. 25,1 883.`

(No Modi.) 8`Sheets`-Sheet 3.

` J. CVHAPMAN.

, 4 KNITTING MACHINE. No. 290,972. 'Patented Dec. 25,1883.-

(No Model.) 8 sheets-sum 4.

J. CHAPMAN.

KNITTING MACHINE. No. 290,972. Patented Dee. 25, 1883.

am/M4 (No Model. *8 Sheet'S -Sheet 5. V

' J.' GHAPMAN,.

` KNITTING, MACHINE.

No. 290,972. I Patented Dec. 25,1883.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets- Sheet 6.

J.CHAPMAN.

KNITTING MAC I' No. 290.972. ented Dec; 25. 1883.

(No Model.) i V '3 Sheets-Sheet 7.

' J. CHAPMAN.

KNITTING MACHINE.

- N0. 290`,972'. Patent-edDec. 25, 188.3..

` (N0 Model.). 8 Sheets-Sheet s.

` J. UHAPMAN.

KNITT ING MAC I 4 ented Dec. 25, 1883.

iJoHN omp mwmmewom cohNEo'rIoUT, v E J KNlTTlNG .T all whom it may concern: *i

Be it known that I, JOHN CHAPllIAN, of Newington, in the County of Hartford, and' State of Connecticut, have invented' certain.

new and useful Improvements in Knitting Machines, of which the following is a spec1fication.

My' invention relates to improvements in u knitting-machines, in which I employ a pecu# liar sinker or slide having a side projection or projections for closing the springbearded needles, and other features hereinafter de scribed, and in which machine said sinkers or slides are combined with mechanism for giving them certain motions; and the objects ofmy improvements areto enable the machine' to knit stripes, plaids, and various figures -or patterns, and to make a sinker which will doi the pressing, ing over.

landing, dividing, .and knock- I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which 4 I Figure 1 'is a sect1onal view of a` machine having my improved sinkers and adapted for the inner end of* the sinkers.

knitting fancy patterns. Figs. 2, 3, 4-, and are side elevations of another style of sinker,

which is adapted for nsein connection with a part of my improvements. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9` are side elevations of other styles, and

adapted for use upon different styles of ma-' chines., Fig. 11 shows a side elevation of the Stationary sinker-cam for a circular frame, to-` gether with an edgefiview of` two of sinkers Fig; 12 shows an edge view'f of said cam and a side View of said sinkers.'

resting thereon.

Fig. 13 is aplan View of dcta'chedparts, showing more fully the means for'moving the sinky Fig. 14 is a partial 'edge View and sec-` ers. tion of `the cam-ring on line x w of Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is a side view of the cam for raising Fig. 16 is a par tial elevation and section on the line 2, Figs.

13 and 14. Fig. 17 is a like View on the line 3, Figs. 13 and 14. Fig. 18 is a detached view of the mechanismfor moving the jacks 'E, Fig; 1; and Fig. 19 is a Vertical section, partly in elevation, ofthe main portions of my machine, the same being taken on a plane running transversely through my machine from front to rear.

Q p l a thus advanced, the, front endof the slide' is' My sinkers are adapted for'useupon several '299,972,' dated December ?35,1883

idifferentkinds of machines, as will be inferred from' the various styles of sinkers herein 'il-lusl ftrated, .but'in all of them thereis the narrow= ine-ck 'orbeam b and the pin or side projec- 5 jtions upon one or both sides. "In most of them ?there is the diViding-nibcthe outer endgof Which points toward the forward endof the: sinker, and the upper edge of which is sub-' stantially parallel to the length of the straight 'thread when in the position 'represented in' Fig. '3, and so that the 'thread will not-be lia-` b le to slipoff .the nib when the sinkerrises* :and divides thestitchpas shown in Fig. 4." The upper and lower edges of said' beam are inot only straight but they are substantially :parallel -to each other, so that the work may ride properly back and forth on said"`neck as the latter moves'endwise from the position' represented in Fig. 4 to that represented' in* gFig-.. I

1 Inasmuch 'as various cams or other mechanism' may readilybe arranged to impart cer: ;tain motions to other parts when the niotions *areonce described, I do' not wish to 'confine :myself to the particular' mechanism' herein illustrated for so doing, but reserve to myself the right .to select such .cams or known mech-- lanism as may be best suited to the purpose of 8 imparting the m'otions herein described to my [sinkers: v I

l That part of my invention which is referred' ito in thefirst claim is applicable to all of the formsof sinkers herein 'shown and described. 8 For convenience, I will first describe -the ;operation of the sinkers representedby Figs. ?to 5, inclusive; Sheet 2, and then describe themechanism for so operating them. This"` particular form of sinker is designed for use with stationary-needles arranged -either in a. straight or Circular frame. It may also be 'used in connection with sliding needles, if de- Zsired. When used with Stationary needles, 'the first movement of the sinker or slide isfto pass longitudinally and horizontally between' two needles properly supplied withyarn, so as to press or sink the yarn' between the spring-' bearded needles d and under the beards, as shown in Fig. While theslide or sinker is I raised" vertically by any'su'itable" mechanism 6 neck or beam, so that it may pass under the i,

into the position represented in Fig. 4. In moving into this position, the pin a (which in this particular slide projects a short distance from each side of the sinker or slide) comes in contact with the spring-beards of the two adjacent needles and presses the spring-boards toward the body of the needles and holds them so pressed as the slide rises. In ease there were only one side projection or pin, a, on the slide, then the beard of only one needle would be pressed. The neck or beamb lifts the work and lands the loop at the same time that the beards are pressed and the nib or nose c elevates and divides the stitch, as shown in Fig. 4. Thus it will be seen that the pressing, landing, and dividing is all done by one motion--to wit., an upward vertical movement of the forward end of the slide or sinker. The sinker, while it is still elevated, is next moved backward into the position represented in Fig. 5, when the knocking-over or inelined earn A on the end of the slide comes in contact with the work to knock it over, as shown in Fig. 5. The slide is then depressed into the level represented in Fig. 3; but farther back the thread' is again laid in proper position in front of the needles, and the operation is repeated as before. In Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, e designates the thread, f the thread-guide, and g the fabric.

I have herein used the term Stationary needles in contradistinetion to longitudinally-reeiprocating needles. It is, however, immaterial whether the needles and sinkers revolve by a Stationary cam-ring or other mechanism for imparting the longitudinally-reciprocating movement to the sinkers, or whether the latter revolves while the former are stationary.

In Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17 I have shown means for imparting the hereinbeforedescribed movements to said sinkers, in connection with a circular frame, and in which the eams are stationary, while the sley, needlecylinder, comb, and sinkers revolve. These sinkers, as hereinbefore described, move individually as they are in suceession acted upon by or act against suitable inclines or Cams. H designates the outer part of the Stationary ring. I is a rotating eomb-frame for carrying the sinkers; J, the needle-cylinder with the needles d mounted thereon. The position for the sley is indicated by the broken lines at J Just inside of the needle-cylinder is a stationary cylinder, K, upon the upper end of which there is a cam, o. Over the comb-guide there is the Stationary cam-ring L, having inclines p p', Figa 13, upon its edge, and inclines q q Fig. 14, upon its under side. The cam G' is bolted to the ring H, so as to project its end over the eomb-frame and sinkers at a point between the inclines p p' of the cam-ring L. The parts H and L are connected together by any suitable means-as, for instance, by straps or bridges bolted to the upper side of said parts-which, when taken together, form practieally a single Stationary cam-ring. The parts are mounted as follows: Upon a frame, crossbar, or table of a suita le stand a Stationary shaftis afiixed,projectingupward. Surrounding this shaft is a hollow shaft or sleeve earrying a suitable driving-gear, and also all of the revolving parts-that is, the slcy, the needle-cylinder and the comb-frame-so that said parts revolve with the sleeve and are supported by it, while the shaft about which said sleeve and connected parts revolve is Stationary. Suitable arms or a hub at the bottom of the cam-cylinder K connect said cylinder to the upper end of the Stationary shaft and support said cylinder Stationary at the proper height relatively to the needle-cylinder. The ring H is connected to the stand or frame by vertical posts at points outside of the eomb-guide. These revolving parts are driven and 'stationary parts supported in the same way as the revolving needle-cylinder. The central stationary shat't and the Stationary parts both outside and inside of theneedlecylinder, are driven and supported as in the old and well-known round English frame, to which reference is made.

In Fig. 13 I have shown only two sinkers; but in practice the sinkers will be placed one for every needle throughout the whole circle of needles. As each sinker in the comb-frame presents itself to the cam G', the wing m rides up its incline over the end of said cam to throw the sinker endwise inward into the position represented for the sinkerin Fig. 3, and the left-hand sinker in Fig. 13. The under surface of the cam-ring L is flat at the portion which is at the right of the broken line 1, Figs. 13 and 14, and the sinkers consequently are held down flat while they are moved inward by the cam G'. So soon as each sinker reaches the corner of the cam G' which coincides with the line 1, the innerend of the sinkerbegins to be forced upward edgewise by riding up over the cam 0, and it reaches the summit of said cam when it reaches the next corner of the cam G', and is under that pointin the ring L designated by the line 2, and the under snr- IOO IIO

face of the cam-ring is made to slant upward from the line L to line, 2, or is otherwise cut away so as to allow the cam o to thus elevate the sinkers. Figs. 4 to 16 illustrate the position of the sinker just as it reaches said point.

The under face of the ring L at this point should be cut away sufficiently, as represented in Fig. 16, to allow the sinker to draw back freely, as hereinafter described. The cam o holds the inner end of the sinker thus elevated while it is passing from the line 2to 3, during which time the incline p on the cam-ring L acts upon the wing m of the sinker to draw it backward into the position in which it is represented in Figs. 5 and 17. As it. passes onward from the line 3 to 4, it rides off the last ineline of the cam 0, and the under face of the cam-ring L from 3 to 4 is inclined downward, as shown in Fig. 14, so as to force the sinker downward again into its horizontal position Withinthe comb-frame I. From the line 4 onto the left the under face of the 'cam-ring L is flat to hold the sinker down until it reaches another set of cams in its. circuit. I have hereinshown but one set of cams for moving the V sinkers, but there may be as many sets of cams on the respective rings and cylinders as maybe desired, and as many threads may be fed into the machine as there are sets of cams. The .machine, however, will knit correctly with only one set of cams, in which case the entire under surface of the cam-ring will be flat, except that between the lines 1 and 4, as shown in Fig. 14. There can be one set of cams for every two inches in the circle of needles', and they may be made to work with one. set for every one and a half inch; but I prefer to leave two blank spaces without any cams for five or six inches at the front and rear of the machine for convenience of repairs andfor running on the fabric.

If desired. by the employment of a sinker with the cam a on its under side, which will engage the top of cam o and elevate the sinker during its backward movement to knock over the work, the cam 0 need not be made so high,

and the rise of its incline would not be so steep.

As said before, these sinkers move 'individually, and they also have an individual action,

so much s'o that onesinker and two needles alone will knit. By having the'cam 0 and needles arranged'a little lower, or having the V comb,-frame and cam ring L arranged relatively higher, the machine may be constructed so'as to work without giving the` sinker so great an extent of vertical movement as is represented for them in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 16, and 17.

In Fig. 1 the thread-guides f are mounted upon the thread-guide bar 'B, so asto. move vertically, said bar also moves longitudinally and carries each threadguide from one needle,

to the next at the formation of each stitch,

and the needles d are mounted in like manner upon the needle-baru0,. to move vertically, all substantially as in many other straight frames. This straight frame is supplied with a thread for every needle for knitting a stocking-stitch, and. the threads may be of diiferent colors.

Examples of machines with a thread-guide and thread forevery needle and mechanism for moving the thread-guide'bar and needlebars which is applicable to my machine may *longitudinally ina horizontal direction, but

not: .to move vertically in the manner hereinbefore; described, except by mcansof the cam.

n striking the upper edge of a Stationary bar when the, sinker is drawn back. They also have the side projection, a, and neck or beam b, but the pin a projects only from one side.'

two thin plates, F, which are moved bymeans.

of suitable cams up over the back of the jacks by degreesthat is, step by step-and when they have nearly reached the upper ends of the jacks they are caused to descend in the same manner. These plates F have also a short horizontal movement imparted to them to move the jacks and carry the sinkers D longitudinally. Fig. 18 shows the mechanism for imparting these movements to the plates F.

M 'designates a horizontally-moving block, one end of which is mounted eccentrically upon the shaft N, whereby the revolution of said shaft reciprocates said block M horizontally. At the other end of said block there are vertical slots r r, within which is fitted the vertically-moving cross-bar P. Said crossbar is connected by a pin, s, to the upper end of a slotted slide, Q. The lower end of said slide is provided with a friction-roller, t, and said lower end is held in position by means of a pivoted block, n, secured to the frame-work of the machine, and fitting within the slot of said slide, whereby the slide may have a slight rocking motion in addition to its vertical movement.

Underneath the friction-roller t of the slide u Q there is a cam, R, mounted on shaft or stud S by the side of the ratchet-wheel T. One end of a weighted or spring-actuated pawl, U, engages said ratchet, while its opposite end is eccentrically mounted upon the shaft N,whereby the ratchet-wheel is moved the space of one tooth at a time for every revolution of the shaft N and every horizontal movement of the block M. The ratchet wheel is prevented from moving backward by the spring 'U or A other equivalent means. These parts are locatedat the end of the machine, and there is a block, M, cross-bar P, slide Q, and cam R at each end of the machine. The plates F are bolted at i each end tothe cross-bars P, which should have a slotted connection for the fastening-bolts, so that said plates may be adjusted to and from each other, to accommodate jacks of different widths. The j acks rest between the plates F F, as shownin Fig. 1. Thus it will be seen that the horizontal movement of the block carries the jacks and sinkers back and forth, while the cam R lifts the plates F step by step up over the body of the jacks,.until the point oi' said cam passes the friction-roller, and then the plates will descend in like manner. N otches M are cut in the back edges of the jacks, to form any desired pattern. The

number of jacks, having said notches, and, the

will be. retained thereon until the next move ment of the sinkers, when, instead of a single loop, there will be two loops to be thrown over the ends of such needles as did not have their heards closed in the former movement ot' the sinkers, thereby throwing a thread of one color to the back or inside of the fabric, and bringing a thread of a different color to the front or face side ot'the fabric. Thus it will he seen that the notches in the backs of the jaeks produce the figure in the fabric. For instanee, if the notches in the back of thejacks are so placed with reference to each other that when viewed from the rear they form a diamond-shapcd figure, then a diamondshaped figure will be produced in the fabric. More elaborate figures may be formed in the same manner.

Vertical stripes, plaids, and diamonds may be knit without the aid of the jaeks by notching the end of apart of the sinkers, as shown at lv, Figs. 5 and G, and having the sinkers forced endwise by a narrow cam, so that when a notched sinker comes in front of the cam it will not be forced forward far enough to close the spring-beard upon the needle at the time when the sinkers are lifted. Figs. ll and 12 illustrate such a cam, G, with two sinkers, one of which is notched and the other not. These Cams and sinkers are adapted for use with the round frame hereinhefore described. If at any time it is desired to knit plain work it may be done by means of the same sinkers by moving the adjustable piece Zon the cam G forward and setting it with its edge flash with the edge of said cam. The sinkers will then be actuated by the cam striking upon the rear edge of the wings m, and they will all be moved the same distance whether notched or not. The cam G is shown of such shape that the notched sinkers are at first forced inward the same distance as the rest; but so soon as they pass the corner of the incline they may fall backward a little, as shown by the left -hand sinker in Fig. 11. The sinkers are not, however, raised to press the beards of the needles until after they pass the point of the incline which throws them inward, so all the notched sinkers fall back, as shown, and fail to close the heards, as before specified. This non-motion orfalling back so as not to close the beards produces a strip which is commonly called a tuck-stitch, and is quite common in the backs of gloves, but produced by different mechanism. \V hen this tuck-stitch is made with threads of different colors, it brings one color to the front and the other to the rear, thereby producing vertical stripes in colors. \Vhenever it is desired to end these stripes and still continue knitting, the piece Z may be set fiush with the edge of cam G, and the work then made will be plain. Thus by changing the eams several times while knitting a piece of fabric that piece will be formed with plain and stripcd sections alternately, either all of equal length or some long and some short, as may be desired. The horizontal stripes are formed by running different colored threads into the machine, and my arrangement oft-he sinkers enables many threads tobe used. For instance, forty threads of any desired colors may be knit into the fabric for every revolution of the machine, which threads may be divided into a great variety of hori zontal stripes either wide or narrow, or both, which in connection with the arrangement for knitting vertical stripes will produce plaids in great variety.

In Fig. (i I have shown a sinker which I in tend to use upon a semicireular frame for making fashioned work. In this sinker I make the side projection, a, in the form of a frictionroller.

In Fig. 7 I have shown another style of sinkcr for use upon a round frame.

In Fig. S I have shown a sinker similar to that shown in Fig. 1 which I design for use upon a flat frame. This sinker ditl'ers from that shown in Fig. 1 only by the addition of the inelined cam A.

In Fig. 9 is another sinker for a flat frame in which the side projection is eam shaped, and this projection may, if desired, be made adjustable to and from the needles.

In Figs. l, 6, 7, 8, and 9 the cam n on the under side ot' the sinker strikes a Stationary bar or beam at the last end of its backward movement and throws up the sinker for knocking over the work, producing substantially the same result as if the cam were upon the upper edge of the sinker, as in Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive. In somecases it is desirablc to divide the knocking-over cam upon both sides of the sinker, as shown at A a in Figs. (i, 8, and 9.

I am aware that an English patent shows a series of sinkers of a somewhat similar form to mine havin g, side projections for closing the beards of the needles, which sinkers are mounted on a har to move all together and incapable of individual movement, andI hereby disclaim the same.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination ofspring-beardcd needles, the sinkcrs having side projection, and mechanism for pressing the projections on part of said sinkcrs against the ncedle-beards to close them while the remainder of the sinkers are not so presscd, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination ofspringbearded nee' dles, the sinkers having side projection, the

ICO

IIO

jaeks E, having pattern-notehes in their backs, under side at the outer end of said beam, suband mechanism acting upon the back of said stantially as described, and for the purpose jaeks to throw the sinkers forward, substanspecified.

tially as described, and for the purpose speci- JOHN CHAPMAN. 5 fied. witnesses: v

3. The sinker having the side projection, JAMES SHEPARD,

the neck or beam, and the cam n upon the 4 JOHN EDWARDS, Jr. 

